substance abuse

This study aimed to determine the effect of motivational interviewing (MI) on self-control, self-efficacy, andrelapse rate in clients undergoing substance abuse treatment in Foman city, Iran. Using a multi-stage random sampling, 72 patients undergoing substance abuse treatment were equally divided into an experimental and control group and participated in this experimental study. Patients participated in eight 45-60- minute motivational interviewing sessions based on Miller’s recommendations. Data were collected before and 3 months after the MI using demographic questions, temptation questionnaire, Tangney’s self-control scale, general self-efficacy scale, and relapse prediction questionnaire (short form). After controlling the effect of the pretest, the mean of temptation significantly decreased in the experimental group after the MI, and the mean of self-efficacy and self-control increased significantly in the experimental group after the MI (P<0.001). In addition, the mean intensity of desire and the probability of consumption improved significantly in the experimental group after MI, after controlling for the pre-test effect (P<0.001). MI is a promising approach to reduce the relapse rate in addicted patients receiving treatment. Therefore, it is suggested that the effectiveness of common drug therapy for successful substance abuse treatment can be increased by including MI in the treatment protocol.

Substance abuse leads to blood-brain barrier dysfunction and activation of neuro-inflammatory pathways. However, the contribution of serum levels of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR-2) and S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B) to neuropsychological outcomes has not been clearly established. This study aims to explore the relationship between TLR-2 and S100B serum concentrations in individuals with substance abuse and their potential influence on neuropsychological results, specifically regarding the functioning of the frontal lobe.

 This study involved 28 individuals who were diagnosed with substance abuse at Loghman Hakim Hospital’s Toxicology Unit in 2022. Serum TLR-2 concentration and S100B levels, as neuroinflammatory markers, and the frontal assessment battery (FAB), as executive function markers, were measured.

Substance abuse patients exhibited elevated levels of both TLR-2 and S100B. In drug addicts, a strong positive relationship was detected between serum levels of TLR-2 and S100B (r=0.742, P=0.0021) levels. Nevertheless, no significant relationship was found between FAB scores and serum concentrations of S100B and TLR-2.

This study reveals increased serum TLR-2 and S100B levels in individuals with substance abuse. However, these elevated levels did not appear to be associated with risk factors related to substance abuse or frontal lobe function.

 Suicide is a serious public health issue that is more prevalent among substance abusers.

This scoping review aims to examine the prevalence of suicide attempts and completed suicides in this target population.

Data Sources: A systematic search was conducted without language or time restrictions in electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Sciences and Google Scholar using medical subject headings (MeSH) keywords. The primary outcome was the overall prevalence of suicide, while secondary outcomes included the prevalence of suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, and completed suicides among the target population.Study Selection: All observational studies (including cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies) were included. Two independent reviewers performed the selection of relevant studies throughout all stages of the study selection process, including screening, full-text review, and quality assessment using a modified version of the Department of Health & Human Services tool. Data Extraction: Data extraction was carried out using Excel, and data analysis was performed using Stata version 17. Ultimately, 13 studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis process.

The findings revealed that personal and family history of suicide attempts, as well as psychological disorders, significantly increased the odds of mortality. Furthermore, the synthesis of studies indicated that the overall prevalence of suicide (including completed suicides, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts) among this population was: ES [95% confidence interval] = 0.42 [0.31 to 0.52]. In the subgroup analysis, the results showed: The prevalence of completed suicides: ES [95% confidence interval] = 0.59 [0.52 to 0.66]. The prevalence of suicidal ideation: ES [95% confidence interval] = 0.29 [0.26 to 0.31]. The prevalence of suicide attempts: ES [95% confidence interval] = 0.29 [-0.17 to 0.76].

The results of this study demonstrate a high prevalence of both completed suicides and suicide attempts among individuals with substance abuse issues. To reduce the incidence of these behaviors, governments should design programs aimed at decreasing the rates of Poisoning and mortality in this population.

To evaluate the prevalence of substance abuse in orthopedic patients referred to a specialized orthopedic surgery center in Iran. Substance abuse is a significant public health issue in many societies, leading to various physical, mental, and social problems. To address this concern, it is crucial to raise awareness and knowledge about the prevalence of substance and alcohol abuse, as well as to study the factors that contribute to its development. This issue is critical in Iran, which is one of the centers for opioid consumption globally. Previous studies have estimated that between 700,000 and 4,000,000 individuals are struggling with addiction in Iran, with a reported prevalence of substance abuse at approximately 2.7%.

After creating a checklist for data collection, we gathered information on patients' demographics, marital status, type of substance used, occupational status, type of surgical procedure, and length of hospitalization. Data related to substance use was collected privately in the operating room before anesthesia was administered, while the other information was collected in the orthopedic ward.

Among the 292 patients surveyed, 74.3% were male, and 25.7% were female, with an average age of 41 (± 17.9 years). The assessment revealed that 42.1% of the patients were smokers, while 30.1% reported using hookah. Additionally, alcohol use was reported by 27.7% of the patients, and 24% were identified as substance abusers. The data indicated that males, individuals with higher education, and those who were employed were significantly more susceptible to substance abuse. Traumatic patients, especially those involved in motorcycle-related accidents or with fractures, exhibited a higher history of substance abuse compared to other groups. Furthermore, the duration of hospitalization was notably longer for substance abusers.

The rate of substance and alcohol abuse has increased in Iran recently. Opium remains the most commonly used drug, followed by cannabis. It is essential to implement preventive measures to reduce substance abuse in the country.

Suicide is a violent and social phenomenon that affects societies worldwide. The present study aimed to investigate the frequency of suicide attempts and related factors from 2019 to 2023 among patients referred to hospitals affiliated with Yasuj University of Medical Sciences in Yasuj, Iran.

This descriptive cross-sectional study analyzed 4,481 suicide attempts referred to hospitals affiliated with Yasuj University of Medical Sciences during the years 2019 to 2023. Demographic and epidemiological information on suicide attempts was extracted from systematically registered data at the Yasuj Health Center’s Mental Health Unit and gathered using a standardized form. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 software.

The frequency of suicide attempts in Yasuj City, Iran, during the five-year study period varied between 226.23 and 384.29 cases per 100,000 people. Also, 51.9% of the patients were men. Most cases of suicide attempts occurred in the age group of 16-20 years, with 67% being single, unemployed, and having lower educational attainment. Additionally, 60.76% of the patients lived in the city, 3.01% had a previous history of at least one suicide attempt, and 25.7% had a history of substance abuse. Among the methods of suicide attempts, the majority (73.1%) involved drug ingestion.

The frequency of suicide attempts in Yasuj between 2019 and 2023 is high and shows an increasing trend, with taking drugs being the most common method of suicide attempts.

The healthcare community is becoming increasingly concerned about the potential compromise of clinical judgment among nurses due to substance abuse. In the context of the impaired practice of nurses using substance abuse, moral responsibility has emerged as one of the most significant ethical concerns.

The prevalence of substance abuse (SA) among youth has increased in recent years. However, limited data exist about SA among medical sciences students. Therefore, this study assessed SA prevalence and contributing factors among medical sciences students. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019. Participants were 238 medical sciences students randomly selected from Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran. The data collection instrument was the SA prevalence assessment questionnaire developed by the Mental Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Iran. Data were analyzed using the SPSS (v. 22.0) software. The most commonly abused substances were waterpipe tobacco (31.9%), cigarettes (20.2%), and alcoholic beverages (10.5%). Most participants with a history of SA had started SA before entering university. The prevalence rates of waterpipe tobacco smoking, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption were 9.2%, 8.8%, and 4.2% in the past month and 16.4%, 18.1%, and 7.6% in the past year, respectively. The prevalence of SA among dormitory students and students with lower grade point averages was significantly higher than among non-dormitory students and students with higher grade point averages. The onset age of SA was mainly before eighteen years, so strategies are needed to reduce SA in secondary schools. Moreover, strategies are needed to prevent and reduce SA at universities, particularly among dormitory students and students with lower grade point averages. University authorities should use effective educational and counseling programs to prevent student SA.

Each year, a significant number of fatalities caused by drug poisoning are documented globally. Analyzing the pattern of poisonings is crucial for prevention, particularly in decreasing the incidence of suicides. This research aimed to investigate the trend of poisonings from 2019 to 2023 at Loghman Hakim Hospital, Tehran, Iran.

The present study collected data on gender, age, reasons for poisoning and patient outcomes from the archived records of Loghman Hakim Hospital Poison Center, Tehran, Iran, using the ICD- 10 coding system. Patients were categorized into medication groups following the guidelines in Goldfrank’s book and with input from clinical toxicology specialists. All records underwent a thorough review. The data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 24, incorporating statistical analyses, such as Fisher’s exact and chi-square tests.

A comprehensive analysis was performed on 81,689 patients who had experienced poisoning, with 41336(50.6%) being male and 40353(49.4%) being female. The mortality rate over five years stood at 2.01%. The highest number of fatalities occurred in 2023 and 2022, with 359 cases (21.82%) and 358 cases (21.76%), respectively. Opioid and narcotic poisoning was identified as the primary cause of death, representing 30.33% of the cases.

It is crucial to restrict access to methadone and alcohol. Additionally, the increasing instances of poisonings underscore the societal requirement for government support to alleviate the psychological and economic burdens induced by the coronavirus pandemic.

Adolescents experience rapid physical, cognitive, and psychosocial growth in theirtransition from childhood to adulthood, affecting health outcomes and well-being. Health-relatedquality of life (HRQoL) is a useful indicator of health outcomes, assessed in the current study alongwith associated determinants. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 634 randomly selected adolescents from 13randomly selected schools in Gharwal division, Uttarakhand, India, from August 2019 to September2020. The students studying in the 8th-11th standard and those providing assent and consent from theirparents were included in the study. They were screened using the short version of the Physical ActivityReadiness Questionnaire. Along with physical activity and fitness assessment, the Global School-basedStudent Health Survey questionnaire was administered. The transformed HRQoL domain scores werecalculated using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. A univariate and multivariable linear regressionmodel was applied to identify the determinants of HRQoL using SPSS version 23. The study included 324 (51.1%) boys and 310 (48.9%) girls. The mean age of the students was14.4±1.4 years. The highest mean score was 72.3±21.0 for the social relationship domain and the lowestwas 55.6±15.0 for the physical domain. The age, parents using any form of tobacco, a history of everuseof alcohol and physical fitness were significantly associated with HRQoL domain scores. The nondominantback stretch test was also significantly associated (Beta coefficient; SE, P-value) with physical(-4.1; 1.4, 0.002), psychosocial (-3.9; 1.5, 0.010) and environmental (-3.5; 1.4, 0.014) domain scores. All domains of HRQoL need to be improved and should address the psychological, social,and mental well-being of adolescents. Physical activity and fitness of students emerged as a strongmodifiable predictor affecting almost all the domains of HRQoL, warranting its promotion in schoolsand the promotion of healthy behavior among parents and adolescents.

Adolescent substance use in Thailand is a serious problem that has adverse effects on their physical and mental health and social life. Therefore, there is an urgent need for effective interventions to improve substance abuse outcomes among adolescents.

A mixed-methods research was conducted on 1392 university students in Mahasarakham Province, Thailand, from May to September 2023 to assess the predictors of drug abuse prevention behaviours. Additionally, action research was used to develop and evaluate the project for the prevention of substance use. The data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 25.0. Multiple linear regression analysis and an independent samples t-test were applied to analyze the data.

Most students (46.84%) had a moderate level of drug prevention behaviour. Additionally, social support from the university, peer groups, family relationships, and self-control were significant predictors of substance abuse prevention behaviours. In terms of the effectiveness of white school free from drugs and vice, most subjects reported high levels of substance abuse prevention behaviours. The most effective factors in preventing drug abuse and solving drug-related problems included support from the university, friends, family, self-esteem, and stakeholders.

Self-control, family relationships, peer group support, and social support from the university were correlated with substance abuse prevention behaviour among university students. The project of White School Free from Drugs and Vices was found to be an effective intervention in preventing substance abuse, encouraging students to promote drug abuse prevention behaviours.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of child abuse and substance desire on adolescent suicide. This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on all adolescents aged 12 to 19 who attempted suicide in 2018 at Khorshid Hospital, Isfahan, Iran. A checklist of the patients’ demographic information, toxicological data, and 2 standard questionnaires, including substance desire (family, personal, social) and child abuse questionnaire (emotional abuse, physical abuse, and neglect abuse), were collected. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 15. Comparisons between the 2 groups were performed using t tests, chi-square tests, regression analysis, and crude model analysis. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval were calculated based on logistic regression. A total of 196 teenagers were included in the study, with a mean age of 16.48±1.6 years. Out of these, 155 individuals (79.1%) were female, resulting in a female-to-male ratio of 3.78. There was a significant relationship between gender and alcohol consumption in the personal aspect, as well as between the history of psychiatric diseases and alcohol consumption in the physical aspect (P<0.005). The previous history of suicide was the only variable that showed significance in all aspects of both the substance desire and child abuse questionnaires. History of neglect abuse (OR: 1.2, 95% CI [1.07–1.41]; P=0.009) was a predictive factor for suicide attempt. However, being male (OR: 0.12, 95% CI [0.039–0.37], P=0.000), having no psychiatric history (OR: 0.23, 95% CI [0.10–0.52], P<0.001) and not consuming alcohol (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.15–0.71, P=0.005) were identified as protective factors for attempted suicide. A public health strategy for suicide prevention includes implementing prevention strategies aimed at reducing risk factors, such as alcohol consumption and the risk of neglect abuse

Schizophrenia is a debilitating and complex mental health disorder characterized by symptoms, such as delusions, hallucinations, and cognitive impairments. A high comorbidity rate is observed between substance abuse, schizophrenia and impulsivity. Given the higher rate of suicide among individuals with schizophrenia, this research aims to investigate the correlation between three factors, sensory processing, substance abuse and impulsivity, concerning suicide in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Research was conducted on PubMed, Google Scholar and Web of Science using the keywords “schizophrenia,” “substance use disorder (SUD),” “sensory processing,” “suicide” and “impulsivity.” Sixteen articles were selected as the most recent and relevant studies for reporting.

The reviewed studies demonstrated a high prevalence of suicide in patients with schizophrenia, particularly during the early stages of the illness. Impulsivity plays a contributing role in the elevated rates of suicide and substance abuse, with substance abuse directly influencing the incidence of suicide. Moreover, sensory processing difficulties can lead to self-harm and suicide. Therefore, the presence of these three factors in patients can increase the risk of suicide.

Studies have addressed these risk factors to a considerable extent, less attention has been given to sensory processing, impulsivity, and substance abuse, which are significant factors in self-harm and suicide, as well as their predictive value for suicide. Further studies in this area are recommended.

Substance abuse by adolescents and young adults is a major public health issue. This study aimed to (i) show the transition of sociodemographic and substance abuse characteristics from 1992 to 2017 among US adolescents and young adults, (ii) evaluate the likelihood of co-occurrence of substances, and (iii) identify significant sociodemographic characteristics in association with polysubstance abuse.  This study extracted data for adolescents and young adults from 1992 and 2017 Treatment Episode Data Set-Admission (TEDS-A) datasets. The extracted sample included 337858 admissions in 1992 and 333322 in 2017. Both years experienced significant admissions. A significant transition in 2017 compared to 1992 was evident in education, living status, and ethnicity. Substance-specific transition showed alcohol was dominant in 1992, while marijuana/hashish was dominant in 2017. Also, heroin, other opiates/synthetics, and methamphetamine experienced an increase, while cocaine/crack decreased. The pairwise co-occurrences exhibited a considerable variation in the likelihood of using one substance given another one. The odds ratios (ORs) obtained from generalized ordered logit models showed significantly higher odds of one or more substances with age, while education showed the opposite scenario. A mixed effect of gender was evident in 1992, whereas females were significantly less likely with one or more substances than males in 2017. Other significant vulnerable groups were those not in the labor force, homeless, white, and Mexican Americans.  The findings may help to understand the overall changes between 1992 and 2017 and take necessary measures to reduce the burden of this public health problem.

Substance abuse remains a challenging public health issue, especially among young people. It has been shown that poor sleep and substance abuse may have mutual intensifying effects. This study aimed to evaluate the rates of substance abuse, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption and their association with sleep disturbances among university students in 2021.  The participants were the students of the Faculty of Sciences, University of Guilan, Iran in 2021. Data were collected through a researcher-made demographic questionnaire, the first two questions of the translated version of the World Health Organization (WHO) Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). A total of 222 students entered the study from March to August 2021. The rates of substance abuse in the past three months and lifetime were 35.6% and 45.5%, respectively. The most common type of substance abuse was related to the ‘other substances’ category. Substance abuse was significantly higher in students living in dormitories and those with a family history of substance abuse. Poor sleep was found in 34.2% of the students, and substance abuse and alcohol consumption both in the past three months and lifetime were significantly associated with lower sleep quality. This study showed that substance abuse was significantly associated with sleep disturbances. The study results also illustrated an upward trend of substance abuse in recent years among students in Rasht, which may be related to economic issues in the country and/or the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the rising prevalence of substance abuse and its impacts on society, policymakers are highly recommended to pay special attention to its risk factors.